Day 20Nov 20, 2010
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| Day 20 - San Carlos to Blythe Starting Odometer: 34940 Miles traveled today: 620 San Carlos is beautiful! Last time through, we arrived too late to see it. Catching the sunset last night and the sunrise this morning was a real treat. The Sea of Cortez is peaceful and calm and the rocky bluffs, silhouetted by the low sun, contrast beautifully. There was just enough cirrus this morning to add a glow of warmth to the scene. It’s cold this morning so we layer up and through the course of the day, add more. The morning desert air is crisp and clear. The areas we travel are sparsely populated. No more burning brush or belching diesel trucks and buses. Nice for a change. We slice through the desert wind watching our shadows skim along the pavement. We had an interesting little adventure today. For the third time on this trip, we came upon a blockade of tree limbs, rocks and vehicles preventing traffic from crossing a bridge. Apparently, as near as we can surmise, these small villages and towns have some issue with transportation and do this to protest the passage of trucks and buses. One of the advantages of being on a motorcycle is that you can get by…if they let you. If you’re confident in your actions and point and wave like you’ve been approved for passage, you can get through. Today was different. The bridge was wide and the backup was long. So, we looked ahead and, noticing a couple of vehicles leaving the road we followed suit. Not all vehicles could make this journey as we found out, but we could! Off the pavement, we followed a narrow dirt trail down the riverbank, up the dry, rocky riverbed and then up a steep, silty slope on the other side. Off-road riding! We then dodged a few other obstacles that were half-heartedly placed on the back roads of the town and weaved our way out to the main road. No problem! And, great fun! Those little things leave a smile on your face for hours. We had two last toll crossings for 122 pesos ($11 USD). That brings the total toll (one-way) to 15 crossings at about $85 USD. Again, no complaints! We were a bit anxious to get through customs and, of course, our anxiety was warranted. It’s not awful, just time consuming and you can’t get the same story from any official. We made it through without too much heartache and found that the U.S. security was much more stringent, and their actions clearer. After three U.S. checkpoints, complete with sniffing dogs, we felt like we were back. The gift of the day was watching the sun set and the full moon rise over the Arizona mountains simultaneously. Wow! We pushed on to Blythe to get Pete closer to family for Thanksgiving week and to get me closer to home. A welcoming – and delicious! - Lebanese dinner was waiting. The arctic air is settling in so, alone for the first time on this trip, I’ll have to go around both the Tehachapi pass and the Grapevine…Looks like another couple of days on the road before I walk up my step to hug my wife... |
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